SOLICITATIONS: Dark Horse Comics for July 2011

Dark Horse Comics sent Major Spoilers the cover images and solicitation information for titles arriving in July 2011. Take the jump for an early look of The Goon, Star Wars, and more.

BERSERK VOLUME 35 TP

Kentaro Miura (W/A)

On sale Sept 21 b&w, 224 pages $14.99 TP, 5 1/8″ x 7 1/4″

After a hellish battle against ravenous sea monsters, Guts the Black Swordsman and his companions are forced to seek refuge on a small island so their ship can be repaired. But this island is not the safe haven they’d hoped for¬—it’s a sinister place rife with dark energy, watched over by an ancient, vengeful god. And with a full moon on the rise, that god’s power is about to be unleashed . . .

• Over 500,000 copies of Dark Horse Berserk volumes in print!

• Inspired the popular anime series!

BLOOD BLOCKADE BATTLEFRONT VOLUME 1 TP

Yasuhiro Nightow (W/A)

On sale Sept 14 b&w, 208 pages $10.99 TP, 4 3/8″ x 6 7/8″

Trigun creator, Yasuhiro Nightow returns to Dark Horse with a frantic new mini-series!

A breach between Earth and the netherworlds has opened up over the city of New York, trapping New Yorkers and creatures from other dimensions in an impenetrable bubble. They’ve lived together for years, in a world of crazy crime sci-fi sensibilities. Now someone is threatening to sever the bubble, and a group of stylish superhumans is working to keep it from happening.

• The same comedy, fast action, and strange creatures and weaponry people expect from Nightow.

In 2001, Hellboy quit the B.P.R.D., leaving Abe Sapien to lead Liz Sherman and a bizarre roster of special agents in defending the world from occult threats, including the growing menace of the frog army first spotted in Hellboy: Seed of Destruction.

Mike Mignola and Dark Horse present the complete Plague of Frogs saga, from Hollow Earth to The King of Fear. This second volume dives deeper into Abe’s origin story, introduces the reader to Bureau villains Memnan Saa and the Black Flame, and features the first appearance of fan-favorite Daimio!

• This volume collects B.P.R.D.: The Dead, B.P.R.D.: The Black Flame, and B.P.R.D.: War on Frogs.

• Collects three trade paperbacks into one value-priced hardcover collection!

CHIMICHANGA HC

Eric Powell (W/A/Cover and Dave Stewart (C)

On sale Sept 28 FC, 104 pages $14.99 HC, 6″ x 9″

When Wrinkle’s Traveling Circus’s adorable little bearded girl trades a lock of her magic beard hair for a witch’s strange egg, she stumbles upon what could be the saving grace for her ailing freak show—the savory-named beast Chimichanga!

Lou Martin’s just gained incredible superpowers! Too bad all he wants to do is stay firmly planted on the couch. But an alien got Lewis Martin, slacker extraordinaire, and Martin Lewis, promising young lawyer, confused and sent an Extreme Enhancement Module to the wrong guy, and now Lou’s got superheroes trying to get him to . . . ugh . . . contribute to society—and outlandish supervillains, monsters, and aliens are out to take him down! • Created by John Arcudi (B.P.R.D., The Mask, A God Somewhere) and Doug Mahnke (The Mask, Final Crisis, Green Lantern). • Major Bummer collects all fifteen issues, long out of print and collected here for the very first time!

Having broken into a haunted castle to loot its treasures, Conan and his companions discover that stories of the castle’s paranormal past may have been exaggerated. But that doesn’t mean that fabricated ghost stories can’t be used to their advantage when Conan discovers they aren’t the only thieves out for the gold!

• Written by Ron Marz (The Magdalena, Witchblade) and illustrated by Bart Sears, this is one Conan tale true fans will not want to miss!

Running from the army of Turan, Conan and fellow fugitive Olivia hide out on a small island in the Vilayet Sea, but they soon find themselves stalked by a huge, unseen terror in the jungles and threatened by a group of pirates! These may be the least of their concerns, though, because the ruins of a lost civilization stir when a full moon rises over the isle—and even deadlier creatures awaken!

• A modern adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s beloved “Iron Shadows in the Moon” tale.

• Cover by the legendary Frank Frazetta.

“Conan is a badass, no doubt. This series shows that Conan can still be a great and fun read among today’s other comics.” —Comic Vine

Adapted from the new film!

CONAN THE BARBARIAN: THE MASK OF ACHERON

Stuart Moore (W), Gabriel Guzman (P/Cover), and Jason Gorder (I)

On sale July 20 FC, 64 pages $6.99 One-shot

After witnessing his wife burned at the stake, warlord Khalar Zym sets out on a quest to find the mythical Mask of Acheron, an ancient artifact that will bring his beloved back to life. In his search across the lands, Zym destroys a village in northern Cimmeria, where a boy born of battle survives and is cast out into the world, alone.

Years later, Zym crosses paths again with the boy who survived—Conan. He must now contend with this barbarian nuisance who is now set on vengeance for the slaughter of his village. Zym and his daughter, Marique, eventually clash with Conan in an epic final battle, the outcome of which will decide the fate of the world.

• Based on Conan the Barbarian, the new major motion picture starring Jason Momoa, Rose McGowan, and Ron Perlman.

Horror legend Bernie Wrightson’s Creepy and Eerie short stories, color illustrations, and frontispieces are finally collected in one deluxe hardcover! These classic tales from the 1970s and early 1980s include collaborations with fellow superstars and Warren Publishing alumni Bruce Jones, Carmine Infantino, Howard Chaykin, and others, as well as several adaptations and original stories written and drawn by Wrightson during one of the most fruitful periods of his career! The infamous “Jenifer” is included, as well as Wrightson’s full-color “Muck Monster” and adaptations of Poe and Lovecraft classics.

Cal McDonald, the drug-fueled paranormal private dick, goes head to head with Lonely Street’s zombie-pulverizing Goon, in a weird in-between world full of monsters, horror, and humor!

• A perfect introduction to both titles for new readers!

• Covers by Eric Powell and Fiona Staples.

DISNEY COMICS & STORIES CHARACTERS #1: DONALD DUCK

On sale Aug 17 Packaged in its own tin box, with a pin-back button and character booklet $49.95

Dark Horse has won acclaim for its series of vintage-style statuettes featuring the best characters from comic books. Modeled after products that were popular in the 1930s and 1940s, the first set of Uncle Scrooge statuettes sold out to wide acclaim. We have started development of a new series, inspired by the great stories of Walt Disney’s comics and Stories. This figure is based on one of the greatest ever, the legendary first issue! Sculpted by Yoe! Studio.

Fearing both Doctor Solar and his own hideously powerful son, Samuel, dark deity Moloch creates a mighty fortress fit for a god, with walls of dwarf-star stone. The Man of the Atom invades Moloch’s redoubt, but while his battle with Moloch shakes the heavens, Solar’s beloved Gail is stalked by Samuel’s monstrous, vicious Hadean hounds. Blind-sided by a diabolical deadfall, the Man of the Atom becomes trapped. Moloch warns that neither of them can conquer Samuel alone. He makes an offer . . .

• Doctor Solar is one of comics’ truly iconic characters, popular for half a century.

“I’m more taken by the series now than I was with its first four wonderful issues. Somehow the team at Dark Horse is just making this title better with every great issue. Pick it up now.”—ComicAttack.net

The fight for free will starts now! Alpha was the perfect product of Rossum Corporation’s mind-altering technology, until he snapped, burdened by the dozens of personalities they’d downloaded into his brain. Now the technology has gone viral, turning the entire population into murderous automatons, and it’s up to the psychotic Alpha and a small group of survivors to save mankind.

• Straight from the Dollhouse one-shot written by show writers Tancharoen and Whedon, this new series continues the tale of survivors taking up arms against Rossum. • Fellow Dollhouse show writer Andrew Chambliss (CW’s The Vampire Diaries) makes his comics debut, joining Tancharoen and Whedon!

EERIE ARCHIVES VOLUME 8 HC

Various (W/A)

On sale Sept 21 b&w/FC, 304 pages $49.99 HC, 8 3/8″ x 10 7/8″

Warren Publishing’s outlet for everything fantastic, sinister, and otherworldly travels through the early ’70s at light speed! This excursion features the work of comic-book luminaries Ernie Colón, Mike Ploog, and Dave Cockrum, as well as fan-favorite Eerie creators Doug Moench, Don Glut, Tom Sutton, Sanjulian, Esteban Maroto, and Steve Skeates.

• Eerie Archives Volume 8 collects issues #37-#41 of the original Eerie magazine series in a hardcover format.

FALLING SKIES TP

Paul Tobin (W), Juan Ferreyra (A/Cover), and Andrew Dalhouse (C)

On sale July 13 FC, 104 pages $9.99 TP, 6″ x 9″

In the heart of Boston, following the devastating events of an alien invasion, history professor Tom Mason and his sons Hal, Matt, and Ben are just trying to survive. After an extreme firefight with the aliens, Ben gets kidnapped. Determined to get his son back, Tom joins forces with the second Mass, a militia group that is taking the fight against the aliens. But with the group’s munitions supplies running low, Tom must locate an old friend to equip him and his team in order to ensure the survival of the human race!

Since 1996, Finder has set the bar for science-fiction storytelling, with a lush, intricate world and compelling characters. Now, Dark Horse is proud to present four more story arcs of Carla Speed McNeil’s groundbreaking series in a single, affordably priced volume!

• This second of two Finder Library volumes collects the multiple Eisner Award–nominated story arcs Dream Sequence, Mystery Date, The Rescuers, and Five Crazy Women.

GIANT SIZE LITTLE LULU VOLUME 4 TP

John Stanley (W/A) and Irving Tripp (A)

On sale Sept 7 b&w, 608 pages $24.99 TP, 6″ x 9″

Named one of the top one hundred comics of all time by The Comics Journal, John Stanley’s Little Lulu is one of the most enduring gems of the Golden Age. In a testament to Stanley’s bottomless imagination, this behemoth volume sees mischievous Lulu Moppet’s world continue to expand with new situations and characters, including the first appearance of fan-favorite villain Ol’ Witch Hazel.

The war with the Zombie Priest heats up in the latest new edition of a classic Goon volume. Taking a cue from the great movie posters of the ’30s and ’40s, this collection features a beautiful new cover by Eric Powell!

The saga of Lonely Street takes turns both tragic and hilarious, as Goon and friends are forced to confront their tragic pasts, a tentacled creature from space and its mediocre Interdimensional-to-English Dictionary menace the docks, and Goon must withstand the coming of El Hombre del Lagarto! Plus, Mike Mignola cowrites and illustrates an appearance by Hellboy, in one of the strangest crossovers of all time. For those new to The Goon, these editions are a perfect place to start!

• This volume collects The Goon #5–#8.

• Featuring Mike Mignola and Hellboy!

• New cover by Eric Powell!

GREEN RIVER KILLER: A TRUE DETECTIVE STORY HC

Jeff Jensen (W) and Jonathan Case (A/Cover)

On sale Sept 28 b&w, 240 pages $24.99 HC, 6″ x 9″

The story of one of America’s most notorious killers is revealed in this true-crime comic unlike any other!

Throughout the 1980s, the highest priority of Seattle-area police was the apprehension of the Green River Killer, the man responsible for the murders of dozens of women. In 1990, with the body count numbering at least forty-eight, the case was put in the hands of a single detective, Tom Jensen. After twenty years, when the killer was finally captured with the help of DNA technology, Jensen spent 180 days interviewing Gary Leon Ridgway in an effort to learn his most closely held secrets—an epic confrontation with evil that proved as disturbing and surreal as can be imagined.

Written by Jensen’s own son, acclaimed entertainment writer Jeff Jensen, Green River Killer: A True Detective Story presents the ultimate insider’s account of America’s most prolific serial killer.

• Combines a historic manhunt with a compelling family story!

• Written by Entertainment Weekly’s Jeff Jensen!

• The ultimate true crime graphic novel!

• For fans of From Hell and Torso.

The final arc!

HELLBOY: THE FURY #2 (of 3)

Mike Mignola (W/Cover), Duncan Fegredo (A), and Dave Stewart (C)

On sale July 6 FC, 32 pages $2.99 Miniseries

While Hellboy makes one last stand against the Queen of Blood the war between the forces of good and evil rages on the battlefield with heaps of dead monsters and knights!

• Mike Mignola and Duncan Fegredo conclude their epic collaboration that began in 2007’s Darkness Calls!

“Fegredo continues to establish himself as the strongest of Mignola’s collaborators, with a moody style that strongly evokes Mignola’s own yet [is] rife with its own subtle nuances.” —IGN

Kult has achieved legendary status among roleplaying gamers. Melding gnostic and kabbalistic lore with a contemporary-horror approach, the story of humanity’s escape from an illusion masking a hellish reality is a one-of-a-kind experience.

The Kult series introduces this setting anew with parole officer Tomas Zenk, one of the few who can pierce the illusion. As he overcomes monsters sent to kill him, Zenk discovers the true extent of his powers, including the ability to exert control over the machinery of humanity’s enslavement. But will he aid the forces attempting to bring down the illusion . . . or succumb to the temptations of power?

Two hundred years ago, humans drove the dragons from the islands of May. Now, the last of the dragons rises to wreak havoc anew—with only a healer’s daughter and a kite-flying would-be hero standing in its way.

Abby’s life as a vampire is dangerous enough as it is, and it’s about to get much, much worse—the murder rate in the sleepy little town she calls home is climbing fast . . . and this time she’s not the one responsible. Desperate times lead to very desperate measures as Abby and her caretaker fight to protect her secret from a new monster who wants their home, and wants them dead.

• Official prelude to the film by acclaimed director Matt Reeves!

• An essential part of the Let Me In experience.

“The best American horror film in the last twenty years.” —Stephen King

MASS EFFECT SSV NORMANDY SHIP REPLICA

On sale Oct 26 6 1/4″ long $34.99

We join the legions of gamers and graphic-story fans who’ve been anticipating the October release of the new Mass Effect game.

We proudly announce the release of a custom-crafted miniature version of the SSV Normandy. This is the first replica of the Normandy, and we couldn’t be more excited in bringing it forward.

Normandy is a Systems Alliance starship. She is a “deep scout” frigate, optimized for solo reconnaissance missions deep within unstable regions, using advanced stealth technology powered by an experimental drive core.

Dark Horse’s essential chapter in the story of Id Software’s hotly anticipated game Rage continues!

The Authority has seized power and is carrying out cruel “experiments” on radiation victims, but when a scientist discovers the true extent of its deceptions, she finds herself an enemy of the state, with only a fledgling resistance to turn to. Arvid Nelson (Rex Mundi) and Andrea Mutti (DMZ) delve deeper into the secrets of Rage, working directly with the game’s creative director, Tim Willits, in a new take on postapocalyptic intrigue!

• Written by Arvid Nelson (Rex Mundi) and penciled by Andrea Mutti (DMZ)!

• An exclusive tie-in to the most nightmarish vision yet from Id, the developers of Doom and Quake!

• Cover by Glenn Fabry (Preacher, Hellblazer).

RETRO-A-GO-GO! RETROCOLOR BETTIE PAGE

On sale Aug 10

Retro-a-go-go! has added color to some classic Bettie Page shots, and these are their best designs yet! Rev your engine for hot-rod Bettie and soothe your senses with aquamarine Bettie. And that’s not all . . . two new styles coming next month!

Bettie Page Aquamarine Adjustable Ring $14.99

Bettie Page Aquamarine Belt Buckle $19.99

Bettie Page Aquamarine Cigarette Case $29.99

Bettie Page Aquamarine Keychain $12.00

Bettie Page Aquamarine Pill Box $15.99

Bettie Page Hot Rod Belt Buckle $19.99

Bettie Page Hot Rod Cigarette Case $29.99

Bettie Page Hot Rod Flask $29.99

Bettie Page Hot Rod Heart Compact $16.99

Bettie Page Hot Rod Keychain $12.00

Bettie Page Hot Rod Personal Case $27.99

Bettie Page Hot Rod Pill Box $15.99

Bettie Page Hot Rod Small Case $22.99

THE SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN VOLUME 10 TP

Various (W/A)

On sale Sept 7 b&w, 528 pages $19.99 TP, 7″ x 10″

Conan may be the most dangerous man alive, but that means nothing to foes that are already deceased! The walled City of Life is under siege by an army of the dead and Conan is trapped inside! But how do you kill an enemy who has already died? This volume also sees the rebirth of the deadly swordsman Bor’aqh Sharaq, the return of the extradimensional Devourer of Souls, and an unlikely alliance between Conan and his brutal mirror image, King Konar!

• This volume collects The Savage Sword of Conan #103 to #111, complete with covers, frontispieces, backup stories, and pinups from each issue!

THE SAVAGE SWORD OF KULL VOLUME 2 TP

Various (W/A)

On sale Oct 5 b&w, 448 pages $19.99 TP, 7″ x 10″

This volume contains over forty-five action-packed stories starring the barbaric Atlantean exile, King Kull! Robert E. Howard expert and legendary scribe Roy Thomas details Kull’s mysterious early life from the time he was born to his enslavement by Lemurian pirates! This tome also includes stories from when Kull was king! The Commorians provoke all-out war with Valusia, and, since their clandestine plan of overthrowing King Kull failed in “The Shadow Kingdom,” the snake-men take a different tact by launching an all-out siege on the City of Wonders!

Serenity: Better Days, from Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews, follows everyone’s favorite space cowboys in an action-packed adventure, where the crew takes on a heist that promises a big payoff. But when someone is taken captive, the gang must put aside their enduring differences and work together, at the risk of losing their cash prize.

Joss Whedon is joined by a great roster of writers including comedian Patton Oswalt, Dr. Horrible and The Shepherd’s Tale cowriter Zack Whedon, and Jim Krueger (Avengers/Invaders) in this special expanded edition, making a complete hardcover Serenity library to match The Shepherd’s Tale and Those Left Behind!

• For the first time in hardcover: the miniseries Serenity: Better Days, the short stories Serenity: The Other Half and the previously uncollected Serenity: Downtime, and the one-shot Serenity: Float Out! • All-star writers! Joss Whedon! Zack Whedon! Patton Oswalt! Jim Krueger!

Solomon Kane faces two of his greatest foes in Africa, as Bruce Jones (Conan, The Incredible Hulk) brings his thrilling “Red Shadows” adaptation to a close! Seeking to avenge the horrible murder of a young girl, Solomon Kane chases the feared swordsman Le Loup across the globe, where he finds the villain in league with Songa, the powerful leader of a deceived jungle tribe. Kane finds an ally in the frail, ancient form of magic man N’Longa—but will the old, deposed witch doctor really be able to challenge Songa and save Solomon’s life? Rising stars Rahsan Ekedal (Creepy, The Cleaners) and Dan Jackson (Kull, Star Wars) illustrate this thrilling adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s classic tale!

• Comics legend Bruce Jones reenergizes Solomon Kane!

• Kane faces his greatest nemesis in a battle to the death!

Coming of age has never been this deadly!

STAR WARS ADVENTURES: CHEWBACCA AND THE SLAVERS OF THE SHADOWLANDS TP

Chris Cerasi (W) and Jennifer Meyer (A/C/Cover)

On sale Sept 21 FC, 72 pages $7.99 TP, 5 1/4″ x 7 1/2″

Journey back nearly two hundred years before the events in A New Hope as Chewbacca relates a story from his youth on Kashyyyk. Determined to prove themselves eligible for the rites of adulthood, Chewie and his young friends venture into the perilous Shadowlands in search of adventure. But they find far more than they bargained for when they stumble upon slavers plotting a raid on the Wookiee village.

The accidental encounter becomes one of Chewie’s most formative experiences—one he wishes hadn’t happened at all!

As the invading Yuuzhan Vong penetrate deeper into the galaxy, the Jedi fight back!

But one Jedi in training has taken a different path: Finn Galfridian, under the guidance of the mysterious Master Dray, infiltrates Coruscant and discovers revelations about the leaders of the New Republic that could lead to disaster!

• Luke Skywalker, at the height of his Jedi powers, goes to war!

• Covers by Chris Scalf, artist of Blood Ties and Purge!

• Set within the time frame of the New Jedi Order novels from Del Rey!

On Telos IV, a priestess has been assassinated, and the planet is on the verge of civil war. Only Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan Xanatos can protect the planet’s leader—who just happens to be Xanatos’s father—and stop the insurgents. But Xanatos is succumbing to his own long-buried resentments and may soon be more of a hindrance than a help.

• Twenty years before his fateful meeting with Anakin Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn had his first encounter with the dark side . . .

There are dark secrets behind the treaty that brought peace to the galaxy and an end to the war between the Jedi of the Republic and the Sith Empire. Now, with rumors of the secrets spreading, the galaxy is afraid a new war may be beginning . . .

Elite Republic spy Theron Shan has been assigned to find the old Jedi Master behind these rumors. Previously thought lost forever in Sith territory, Ngani Zho is back and more peculiar than before he left. Theron has his hands full with Zho, a troublesome thief, and the threatening Sith Knights who are also on Zho’s trail!

• LucasArts and BioWare’s soon-to-be-released online game comes straight to comics with an all-new story that runs concurrent with events in the game!

• The debut of the Sith Knights!

THE STRANGE CASE OF MR. HYDE #4 (of 4)

Cole Haddon (W), M. S. Corley (A/Cover), and Jim Campbell (C)

On sale July 27 FC, 32 pages $3.50 Miniseries

Jack the Ripper’s reign of terror is coming to an end. His true identity has been discovered and Inspector Thomas Adye of Scotland Yard and his fiendish partner, Dr. Henry Jekyll—who has a few revelations of his own to share—are hot on his trail. In the fourth and final part of Hyde, written by Cole Haddon and illustrated by M. S. Corley, our monsters collide in a sewage-pumping station for an epic showdown that’s not to be missed. When the dust—and sewage—settles, will Adye still be the good man he was when our story began?

Already beloved for his incredible run on Little Lulu, all-time great John Stanley brought the same magic to Lulu’s best friend/worst nemesis in Tubby, with a brilliant mix of preadolescent pranks and supernatural escapades. In these stories, an alligator runs loose on Main Street, Martians help Santa Claus deliver presents, the boys find a dinosaur egg, and Tub can’t escape Tiny Tot’s Tonic no matter where he goes, as Stanley and artistic collaborator Lloyd White deliver some of the biggest laughs in comics history!

• Reprinting Marge’s Tubby #19–#24 for the first time ever, in full color!

The Author

Robot Overlord

Warning: Pregnant women, the elderly, and children under 10 should avoid prolonged exposure to the Robot Overlord. Robot Overlord may suddenly accelerate to dangerous speeds. The Robot Overlord contains a liquid core, which if exposed due to rupture, should not be touched, inhaled, or looked at. If Robot Overlord begins to smoke, get away immediately. Seek shelter and cover head. Do not taunt the Robot Overlord.